143,000 have voted already in Florida GOP primary

According to the Florida GOP, more than 143,000 votes have already been cast in the Florida primary through absentee and early votes.

The total number is mostly made up of absentee votes, but early voting -- which Florida allows -- also makes up a small portion of the number. Per Florida GOP spokesman Brian Hughes, 138,043 votes have been cast via absentee ballot; 5,024 have been cast in early voting.

1.9 million Florida Republicans voted in the 2008 Florida primary.

The news comes on the same day that Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses were thrown into question by a certification of results showing Rick Santorum pulling ahead of the once-declared victor, Mitt Romney. (Because of votes missing in eight precincts, NBC News won't declare a winner in that contest.)

The Miami Herald, putting salt in Iowa's wounds, notes today there have already been more votes cast early in Florida than the record-breaking total of 122,000 total cast cast in Iowa's caucuses.